


As Long As We're Together

by reddielosers



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Bookworm!Eddie, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Losers club - Freeform, M/M, Main St AU, Multi, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, StreetPerformer!Richie, That's right, feel good, fuck the clown, homeless!Richie, no angst here no siry, whatever that means
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:44:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddielosers/pseuds/reddielosers
Summary: "When the end of high school began to gang up on the six of them, they each promised the other that the moment graduation happened they would leave Derry for good. Now each of them were 21 (Bill was 22), and so far they have kept that promise.They had found an old Victorian Townhouse up for rent right off of Main St. They had all agreed on Portland, Maine. They all knew they would be okay as long as they were together."An AU where The Losers are all roommates in a huge house just off of Main St, where they all work. Eddie is a college student working in a bookstore. Richie is a homeless street performer who relies on his guitar and Voices to make money. Trashmouth soon walks into their lives and turns everything upside down.StreetPerformer!Richie and Bookstore!Eddie





	1. You and I Might Be Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> This is the beginning of a very big project! So buckle up!  
> Also, this is my first slow burn and I am ready to make you all suffer with me. 
> 
> Richie's Song - You and I by Wilco

Eddie Kaspbrak awoke out of his bed with a start. Bright sun rays filtered through his windows blinds, illuminating his bedroom in a white light. It was blinding at first, but his eyes adjusted eventually. Despite the cloudless sky and warm sunlight, his bedroom was absolutely freezing. When he let a sigh escape his lips, he could see his own breath. 

He had been living in this house in Portland, Maine for about three years. The two Autumns he has spent here have so far been identical- incredibly fucking cold. There was no central heat system for the old three story townhouse, and Eddie usually had to rely on the fireplace in the living room for any sort of warmth at night.

One of his roommates, Mike, usually took it upon himself to collect scrap pieces of wood and cardboard in order for them to keep themselves warm. Even now, as Eddie lays in his bed at nearly seven in the morning, he can hear the faint sound of someone chopping wood with an axe outside. Mike was the Mom Friend ™ of the house with just a sprinkling of dad traits. Just the thought of Mike made Eddie break into a small smile. He really loved him. 

Eddie stiffly sits up in his bed, wrapping himself up in his large comforter as his feet found the floor. It feels as though he is walking on ice. He pads down the hallway, knocking lightly on the first door to his left.

“Beverly! It’s time to get ready for work!” He hollers, his own voice muffled by the blanket that is wrapped around his head. He waits for a few seconds, and when he doesn’t hear movement, he barges through the door, letting it hit the wall.

Beverly sleeps soundly on her double-sized bed. Her long amber hair is like a nest on top of her head, a few random strays wild and cascading down her face. The light filters through her window in a much softer way because of her thick drapes. There is a single brown rug on the floor. Beverly’s room smells faintly of ginger and her walls are covered in tapestries and shelves filled with knick knacks. 

Eddie walks straight up to her, climbing onto her mattress easily and draping over her with his comforter. He lays on top of her sleeping body with complete dead weight. He nudges his nose against her cheek, whispering in her ear. She slowly cracks open her eyes, glancing up at him as if to say  _ what the hell do you want? _

“Beverly. Bev. It’s time to get up, lazy ass.” 

“K… Kaspbrak… Get the fuck off of me.” She whispers hoarsely, not making any sign of moving anytime soon.

“I’ll get the fuck off of you if you promise that you’re getting up.” He challenges, pressing his chest harder against her back, making a real effort to crush her now.

“Fine, fine! Get off! For being so short you weight like a thousand pounds!” Bev grunts, twisting around to shove Eddie off of her. He just laughs, sliding off of her and re-wrapping himself in his blanket. He exits her room swiftly just as she chucks a pillow at him. It bumps the door, just barely missing his head. 

“You’re not getting away that easy!” she shouts, and he hears her begin to get out of bed. He just laughs louder, making a b-line for the bathroom before she can beat him to it. He locks the door, and begins his morning routine. 

Bev and Eddie had gotten incredibly close since they moved away from Derry. Of course Mike, Ben, Stan, and Bill followed suit with them, but the two of them were nearly inseparable. He depended on her for almost everything. He was her alarm clock, she was his cook. He was her laundromat, she was his dishwasher. She cried, he was her shoulder to cry on. He told a lie, she was his alibi. Always.

Stan had teased them one day, yelling “Codependency is a silent killer!” Eddie just called it love. 

When the end of high school began to gang up on the six of them, they each promised the other that the moment graduation happened they would leave Derry for good. Now each of them were 21 (Bill was 22), and so far they have kept that promise. 

They had found an old Victorian Townhouse up for rent right off of Main St. They had all agreed on Portland, Maine, mostly because Eddie wanted to go to college there. The rest of them had no plans to go back to school, so they relented. Eddie got to pick where they would move, in the end. They all knew they would be okay as long as they’re together. 

When they actually made the road trip to Portland, The House was much,  _ much _ older than it looked in the advertisement. That should of been the first red flag, but they all insisted that it was going to be perfect. It definitely wasn’t.

The first year they had roaches. They had found out when everyone was setting off to go to bed, Ben and Eddie clearing the dining room table from their dinner. They had agreed right off the bat that they would all share one meal a week together. Friday Night Dinner it was now dubbed. As Ben handed Eddie the last plate that needed washing, they heard a powerful and shrill scream echo through the house. 

Eddie and Ben sprint up the stairs at the sound to meet Bev and Mike standing outside of Mike and Stan’s room.

Bill had gone to work for the night and the scene that greeted Eddie was honestly a treat. 

Stan was standing on top of Mike’s roll top desk, still fully dressed and his little dress shoes were stepping all over one of MIke’s papers. He was wide-eyed and pale faced, one of his arms wrapped around his stomach and the other one pointing at a bug on the floor.

He gave his crowd of friends one more glance before yelling, “ROACHES!”

The chaos that immediately ensued was insane. Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs and Eddie jumped into Mike’s arms. Bev and Ben held each other frantically. Everyone then sprinted down the stairs and out of the house, leaving Stan to fend for himself on top of Mike’s desk. 

The next winter they had mice. A clogged pipe gave way in the kitchen one year. Stan was convinced there was black mold in their bathroom (there wasn’t, but no one would of been surprised if there was).

And sure, even with each other them working full-time and sharing only a four-bedroom house, they were still pretty poor. Most nights featured at least two of them (usually Mike and Ben) coming up with elaborate ways to feed the house. Ramen, beans, and eggs were frequented foods included in their meals. 

But money really doesn’t buy happiness. Eddie can honestly say that the years living with these six losers have been the best in his life. He felt free, a real adult, and not one day went by where he missed the claustrophobic walls of his house or arms of his mother. He called her on occasion, but was making somewhat of a statement whenever he went a few months without contacting her. He was a man now. He didn’t need her anymore. 

Eddie finished brushing his curls, considered getting a haircut soon, and finally stepped out of the bathroom. He met Bev in the hallway and she handed him his purse and laptop satchel. They both walked down the stairs and out of the front door. They both waved at Mike who was still chopping wood in the front yard.

“Looking hot, Hanlon!” Bev hollers, giving him a little salute.

“Speak for yourself, Marsh! Love you guys, have a good day!”

They walked only one block before they were on Main St. It was the busiest street in all of Portland, and it never lacked in excitement. There were people walking in and out of businesses constantly. It was also the center of the art district in the city. Murals and paintings covered each building. Graffiti and vandalism were a constant as well, but the street art did nothing but add to the beauty that Eddie considered to be his favorite street in the world.

Bev and Eddie parted ways then, him heading south of their house and her heading north. Beverly was a lead baker at a Muffin and Pastry shop just a few minutes walk away. She absolutely adored cooking, but baking was a whole new playing field. She always knew she needed a more kinesthetic job, something that kept her busy and moving, but she never would of considered baking. It was the first job that called her back when she first moved to Portland and she never thought about getting a second one.

She quickly moved up from her place as cashier, becoming the head of the kitchen and facilitating all breads and baked goods that went into their ovens. Saying she adored it was a complete understatement. 

Bev walked into her little shop, the bell ringing as the front door shut again, and quickly put on her apron. 

Eddie walked towards his place of work, but he didn’t have the same pip in his step that Beverly did. 

He worked in a used book store owned by a decently grumpy old man. He didn’t see this old man often, but when he did, he was grumpy. His name was Eddie too, but that fact didn’t have him warm up to Eddie in anyway. 

He worked alone most days, like today, but sometimes Ben would pick up a shift or two and work with him throughout the week. There weren’t any speakers to play music so Eddie usually worked in complete silence. And to top it all off, the store was at the very end of Main St, a no man’s land, and he hardly had customers come in anyway. 

He spent most of his days on his laptop, writing or doing homework for one of his online college classes. Most days spent at work were bland. He wouldn’t say he was bored necessarily, but he did find himself falling asleep at his desk more often than not. 

Not that he was complaining! He loved the peace and quiet, especially considering he lived with five of the loudest people in all of Maine. He loved having silence, like he could finally hear himself think. He learned how to be his own best friend, since he spent most of the time by himself then with other human beings. 

As Eddie gets closer to his place of business, he hears a guitar grow louder in his ears. The strumming was noisy but still somehow had an air of softness. 

_ You and I, _

_ We might be strangers. _

_ However close we get sometimes, _

_ It’s like we never met.  _

The only music Eddie ever heard everyday was this man playing his guitar on the corner of Main and Neibolt. He heard music when he walked to work and when he walked home from work. This man spent nearly nine hours a day just standing and singing his little heart out.

_ Well I won’t guess, _

_ What’s coming next, _

_ I can’t tell you, _

_ You’re the deepest well I’ve ever fallen into. _

Eddie didn’t have the nerve or interest, really, in saying hi. Today, though, Eddie felt brave, and chanced a look at him.

The man was tall, strangely tall, and was wearing… A skirt? He had shoulder-length black hair that was a crazy mess of curls and waves billowing off of his head. The height of his hair only made the man look taller and lankier. Eddie went to look at his face, but he had taken a break from playing to drink out of his water bottle. 

Eddie came up to the glass door of his bookstore to unlock it, and without giving the stranger a second glance, stepped inside. The skirt flashed in Eddie head again, and he smiled. 


	2. God Knows I've Fallen In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say real fast, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone that left a kudos and comment on Chapter 1! It means so much to me to get feedback from you guys and it made me so excited to write! So, as a reward, here is Chapter 2 already!!
> 
> I don't have a beta so I apologize for any mistakes lol I tried to edit!
> 
> Beverly's Song - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths  
> Eddie's Song - I Want To Break Free by Queen

Ben Hanscom is standing on the street corner right next to Eddie’s Bookstore. He is a heavy set man with wide cheeks and an even wider belly. He was beautifully fat and his cheeks always shown a pretty pink. He was working on a beard lately, and it was growing in pretty nicely. He wore thick pants and a green hoodie that said “Save the Rainforest!” He has been standing there for nearly five hours, trying (in vain) to catch the attention of a passer by or stranger. 

“Excuse me, Ma’am, would you be interested in- Okay, well, then have a nice day…”

“If you aren’t busy, Sir, I would love to go over some articles with you- Okay, have a good day then.”

He was currently volunteering for a non-profit that was based around the melting of the ice caps. Already becoming vegan with Mike, Ben had heard about the decline of habitats for polar bears and other Antarctic wildlife. After that he had almost immediately went online and hunted down for any way he could serve his time to prevent anymore loss of life. It turns out that the biggest and only reason for the loss of life is- you guessed it- global warming. Something that not many have even admitted was  _ real. _

You can see how Ben was having a very hard time getting people to donate or even just sign his petition. He tried giving out newsletters as well, but no one seemed to care about what he had to say- no matter how urgent or important he assured it was.  

“Hey, guys! Could I steal your attention for a few moments? Oh? No, it’s okay. Have a good one.”

It really was starting to wear down on him, too. He had only started working for the non-profit two days ago. He hadn’t even been able to reel one person in to hear what he has to say. Having so many ignore and blatantly not make eye contact with him was having him nearly losing his faith in humanity itself. He was tired and his passion for this subject was going painfully unheard.

The only thing that has helped Ben manage to keep his sanity is the soft serenade of the Guitar Player across the street, at the other corner on Main St. Throughout the day they had both awkwardly made eye contact with each other. Everytime they did Ben gave a friendly wave while the man played his guitar, who gave an curt nod in return. They had done that almost a dozen times by the end of the night and Ben considered it to be the nicest thing to happen to him all day.

The tall stranger had only a water bottle, a large backpack, and a guitar case propped open with a little sign that said “Like what you hear? Almost shed a tear? If you want, You can donate right here!” Even his sign was a little tune, Ben thought in amusement. If Ben had literally a dollar to spare, he would definitely leave a donation of his own after listening to the Performer’s music for the past few days. 

Ben suddenly realizes he is staring again and chances a look up at the Performer. The stranger is already looking back at him, a little smirk on his lips as he tunes his guitar. He gives Ben a little wink and nod. This makes Ben blush, face becoming somewhat hot, and he promptly decides that that is enough of him embarrassing himself for the day. 

Turning around, Ben gets into his backpack that he has propped up against a stop sign and starts packing up his things. Before he can stow away his pens and clipboard, though, he feels a finger poke his shoulder. He hadn’t even noticed that the music had stopped across the street until he comes face to face with the music player himself.

“Uh, hi.” Ben says, eloquently.

“Hi.” The man replies. Now that he was up close Ben saw that his eyes were a dark onyx that were contrasted nicely by his light brown freckles. His black hair came down to his shoulders and his curls were nothing if not unruly. He wore a light blue dress that buttoned all the way up and fell just above his shoes, which were red vans. He also had a small beard beginning to grow on his face. He looked as outlandish as you can imagine, and the stranger’s get up made Ben try his best to resist the smile that was creeping on to his face.

“What’s your name?” The friendly stranger asks, a small smirk still playing on his lips. He was really beautiful, in a completely feminine dueling masculine way. Ben couldn’t decide truly what he thought the stranger was.

“Ben- Ben Hanscom.” He replies easily enough, trying his best to stay calm even though every part of him for some reason was completely elated that this strange person was striking up a conversation with him. Ben was going to blame it on not being able to talk to anyone else all day.

“People call me Trashmouth!” Before Ben can even react to the weird nickname, he immediately grabs Ben’s hand and lifts it to his lips, giving it a quick peck. “Nice to meet you, Ma Cherie!” Trashmouth says, in a funny and poor French accent.

This makes Ben laugh out loud and Trashmouth drops his hand just as quickly as he had kissed it.  _ Who is this guy? _

“So what are you petitioning for over here, Mr. Handsome?” Trashmouth asks, accent gone, and softly strumming the strings of his guitar now. It was as if he constantly had to be doing something with his hands, Trashmouth was almost jittery with his movements.

“Oh, uh, I have been trying to educate people on some of the issues our planet is having because of global warming. I have been wanting to talk about landfills, depleting ice caps… Stuff like that.” Ben says, ending his sentence flatly. He was still pretty discouraged from his long day of no luck.

“I’d love to listen to what you have to say, Ben Handsome. Why don’t you give me a lecture and I can sign that clipboard of yours?” Trashmouth offers, a considerate smile painted across his face.

Ben light up at the offer, his own smile growing even wider. “What, really?! You’ll be the first person I have gotten to sign! You really sure you want the whole spiel?” 

“Ab-so-lutely. I’m not doing anything else of importance. Why don’t I try to help save the world with Benny over here?” Trashmouth says, patting Ben on the shoulder. 

Ben quickly goes into a short lecture, obviously rehearsed, and he stumbles over his words a few times but overall gets it perfectly. He is so excited he is nearly winded by the time he is done with his short rant on the rainforests and the o-zone. Trashmouth just nods and has a serious look on his face the whole time, trying his best to indicate to Ben that, yes, this is interesting and important. Just as Ben is about to lead into another lecture, Trashmouth cuts him off.

“Nerd Alert.” He says slyly, but winks at Ben again, letting him know he is just teasing.

“Well, no... It’s actually pretty interesting.”

“Ben, in total honesty, do you know how cool this is? That you actually give enough of a shit about our planet to spend your whole day standing out here in the off-chance you can talk about it? You got my signature, for sure, Handsome.” And with that, Trashmouth takes away the pen and clipboard in Ben’s hands and goes to filling out his information.

“Honestly, thank you- Thank you so much. I was under the impression that more people would want to be educated on this, but I just have the sneaking suspicion that people think I am trying to sell them something.” Ben says, voice a little forlorn.

“Well, you don’t look like a vacuum salesman to me. People’ll come around.” Trashmouth says, handing him back his things. Next thing Ben knows, Trashmouth is walking across the street to his pile of belongings. The sun is beginning to set now, and they both should be packing up for the night.

Ben is smiling a grin that hurts and begins looking over everything that Trashmouth had filled out. He did everything perfectly, but left out a few major details.

“You forgot your phone number and your address!” Ben hollers from across the way, waving the piece of paper in the air.   
“Don’t have either of those, Handsome!” Trashmouth replies easily, zipping up his guitar and throwing the case strap over his shoulder. “Sorry!” And with that, Trashmouth begins walking down Main St. and slowly disappears out of Ben’s sight.

_ Who is that guy? _ Ben thinks again, this time in awe.  
  


 

Beverly’s work week, on the other hand, had passed by incredibly quickly. It was just past 7 o’clock now and she was already late for Friday Night Dinner. She wipes her flour-covered hands all over her soiled apron from the mixing she had done that day. Grabbing the broom to sweep the small shop, she begins humming to herself.

It was basically closing time and the whole bakery was deserted. It had been an overall slow day, but it always passed by in a flash for Bev just because she enjoyed her work. Baking was a science, after all, she would always say. It took brain power. She was enthralled with it all. The cookies, the cakes,  _ especially _ the breads. That was her specialty. You could ask any locals and regular and they would say that her italian cheese and herb bread was to die for. 

She took incredible pride in her work, as well as the shop she worked in, so staying after closing to clean and tidy up was never an issue. She let the other girls go home early while she shut everything off, sweeping as she goes along.

Right as she is about to turn the neon OPEN sign off, however, the front door bell rings and a tall figure walks on in. She turns around to see who is actually is before she gets swept up in a large hug, nearly lifted off the ground with the force of their affections.

“Trashmouth, put me down!” Bev giggled, identifying her hug-attacker immediately. The broom drops to the ground as she releases her hold to pound soft fists into Trashmouth’s shoulders. 

“Sorry, Ms. Marsh, I couldn’t resists sneaking some snuggles in.” He says smoothy, setting her down. He then gives her an adorable crooked-toothed smile and scratches the back of his head bashfully. Bev just stares at him with a cheery expression, not being able to hold back the small giggles as she looks over his outfit.

“A button-up dress is trendy in men’s fashion nowadays, I’m assuming?” Beverly asks, not at all unfriendly in her questioning. This makes Trashmouth laugh as he looks down at himself, wiping invisible dirt off of the bottom of his dress.

“I think I’m the last person who would know what was trending in fashion, to be honest. Dresses are just so much more comfortable than pantaloons, you know?” Trashmouth says, giving a little twirl so that the dress billows out for a moment.

Bev gives him a big nod, “Ooh yes, I definitely know.” She says, gesturing to her own little sun dress. She is wearing little leg warmers too, of course, because of the cold weather. 

“So what brings you back to my humble little shop?” 

“Oh, I just wanted to see you. Say hi, walk you home. I haven’t seen you in the last few days, I was starting to think you had forgotten about little ol’ me.” he says, raising his eyebrows at her and pouting out his bottom lip. She gives him a playful shove as she rolls her eyes. 

“Oh, of course not. I’ve actually just been sleeping in late before my morning shifts, I’m sorry if I haven’t been able to catch up with you lately.” Bev replies, picking up the broom again and continuing her sweeping. Trashmouth sits on top one of the small tables with his legs criss-cross so she can clean.

Trashmouth and Beverly had first met on one of her evening walks home from work. A large man had happened upon her, and had gotten extremely predatory. Long story short, Trashmouth came to the rescue. Now, whenever he gets the chance, he makes sure to stop by Beverly’s Bakery and walk her straight home from work. Her “Friendly Neighborhood Trashmouth” he once said.

“Oh, don’t be sorry. I just miss seeing my favorite little red head.” he says, running a hand through her hair, making her thick curls frizz up in an endearing way. 

“Hands off the merchandise, wise guy. You break it you buy it.” She was giving him such a wide smile her cheeks were pink. Her blush plus the golden light from the sun setting hitting her freckled face made his heart nearly melt. What a sight it was. She was radiant in the sun. Her green eyes in full glory.

“Hey, I don’t know if I told you, but I work on Main St. too. At the corner on Neibolt. I play music. A guitar, mostly. You should come hang out and listen sometime.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you played! That’s fucking awesome. For sure. You should come audition at my friend Bill’s bar, it’s just a few businesses away from here actually. It’s called The Gallery. They have musicians come and play for free drinks every weekend. If you’re actually any good, that is.” She gives him a teasing wink. 

“Oh, fuck off.” He chuckles. “I might have to go check it out tonight, then. If I’m actually any good, that is-” 

“I’d actually love to hear you play something sometime.” She says, cutting him off softly. She finishes up her sweeping and stows the broom away.

  
“Why not right now? You have to sing with me though…” Trashmouth quickly unzips his guitar case and busts out his acoustic. He slings it over his shoulder, strumming a few times before pointedly looking at Beverly. “What are we singing tonight, Marsh? Give me a good one.”

Beverly is just laughing at him as she takes off her apron, throwing it in the dirty washcloth bin behind the counter. “Oooh no, you are not making me sing, absolutely not!”

  
“You have to do it, Marsh! This isn’t going to be my typical one man show, I need my back up singer.”

“Fine, fine. Only if we do The Smiths.” She challenges, giving him a pointed look and grinning wide with her arms crossed. She walks over to the shop doors, motioning for him to follow her outside.

They both walk out onto the sidewalk, air crisp with cold wind. She turns around and locks the doors to her bakery before finally turning back to Trashmouth. “Walk me home?”

Trashmouth doesn’t reply, only follows behind her while he begins strumming his guitar, starting to sing right in the middle of the song. His singing voice is strangely high compared to his talking voice, so replicating Morrisey’s deep tone strains his vocals in a few places. 

_ Driving in your car _

_ I never never want to go home _

_ Because I haven’t got one… _

_ Anymore.  _

Beverly laughs out loud, shaking her head at him. He just keeps strumming the same tune, nodding along, before he raises his eyebrows at her as if to say  _ Well? Your turn.  _ Beverly obliges and continues into the next verse. 

_ Take me out tonight. _

_ Where there’s music and there’s people, _

_ And they’re young and alive! _

The sun is almost completely set now, the only thing illuminating the both of them is the lamp posts shining down on the sidewalk as they stroll. They continue to sing and skip and dance next to one another, serenading each other all the way to Beverly’s home. 

Right as they are about to walk up The House’s porch, they finish their song pretty poorly. Neither of them can reach the deep and low tones of Morrisey’s voice, so when they sing their voices crack and give way. It doesn’t stop them from singing their hearts out, though.

_ If a double-decker bus, _

_ Crashes into us, _

_ To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die! _

They break off there poor rendition of the classic song with their laughter. Both of them are nearly gasping with the effort and rever that they put into their performance, and he gives her some applause. She bows a few times, her hair wild and tangled. 

Before she leaves, Bev pulls him into a firm hug, smooshing the guitar in between the two of them. It is kind of painful, but neither of them complain one bit.

Beverly waves at him and begins to walk up her porch steps before she stops and turns again, running back over to him.

“Oh, T, I almost forgot! I snagged these out of our pantry before I closed up. They are for you.” She gingerly hands him a little box. Trashmouth opens it, and it is full of beautifully decorated pastries and breads. 

“Made em myself.” His mouth waters just looking at them, some of the small granules of sugar glimmering in the moonlight. They looks delicious. 

“Aw, Marsh! You didn’t have to do this for ol’ Trashmouth!” He nearly yells, slinging one arm over her shoulder. “I’m honored. I can not wait to eat the artistry that is Beverly Marsh’s baking. Thank you.” he says earnestly, tossing around her amber hair around again. She wiggles out from under his arm and shrugs.

“Don’t sweat it, T. If you ever find yourself in a crunch and are looking for some food, you just let me know. I know sleeping in a tent is your preferred resting place, but you don’t ever have to go hungry. Just let me know.” She says casually, like its nothing. Because it isn’t for her. She is just helping out a friend. A friend who just so happens to be homeless, but a friend nonetheless. 

She squeezes his arm one last time before walking away again, vanishing into The House.

Trashmouth smiles his entire walk back to his campsite.  
  


Beverly pushes open the front door to the Losers’ home and walks straight into the dining room. She can already hear bickering going on in the kitchen, yelling and the tossing of kitchen utensils. Their usual goofball debauchery. Suddenly, Ben is being shoved out of the kitchen doorway by Mike’s strong hands while Stan stands behind him, sassily telling Ben how poor his cooking skills really are.

  
“Ben, you’re never going to work in this town again! Did you seriously just dump a cup of fucking SUGAR instead of FLOUR into that bowl?!” Stan’s critical voice came, followed by a dramatic sigh.

“Yeah, well, that’s why I keep Bev around! So I don’t have to do stuff like this!” Ben hollers back, pulling a chair out so he can sit at the dining table.

“Oh yeah, THAT’S why you keep me around, Ben? To do the cooking?” Beverly pipes up, finally catching all the boys attention. Ben whirls around to face her, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“N-no! Of course not, Beverly! I was just- Stan had just- They kicked me out and I just-” Ben stutters and fumbles over his words. It wasn’t the first time he was caught putting his foot in his mouth.

“Hey Bev!” Greeted Stan and Mike, before they both strategically avoided the confrontation by going back to the kitchen.

Beverly can’t pretend to be mad at Ben for long, though. He looks absolutely mortified and affronted. His cheeks are a three shades darker pink than they usually are, and she feels bad for putting him on the spot. 

She finally relents and lets out a chuckle at his expense. She walks over, resting a hand on his shoulder and giving him a fat smooch on the cheek. 

“I’m just giving you shit, Benny. I’m sorry. I love you, too. How was your day on the corner?” Bev says, running her hands through his hair reassuringly before she takes a seat at the table herself.

He talks a little bit more about the non-profit, global awareness, all the shit Ben normally talks about. Difference is, even though he has repeated the same facts and studies to her a thousand times, she didn’t mind hearing him repeat himself. She lets him ramble on and on, and just smiles at the passion that pours out of him. 

While they are quietly talking and the other boys are getting dinner prepared, Eddie finally makes his appearance. It wasn’t normal for him to come home last, especially not after the sun has down. Beverly looks over at him and he looks completely deflated. Back hunched, hair falling in his face, and a big frown plastered on his lips. 

He definitely seems irritable, Ben notices. Ben gets up out of his seat, takes Eddie’s bags out of his hands and sets them on the couch beside them. He leans down and gives the top of Eddie’s head a kiss, motioning for him to join Bev and him.

“Hey sweets, what’s up? Something happen?” Beverly asks, opening her arms. Eddie doesn’t fight it and walks right into her waiting embrace, sitting on her lap and leaning his head on top of hers.

Eddie opens his mouth to speak, but he is interrupted immediately by Stan yelling abruptly and throwing something loudly in the kitchen. This is followed by obnoxious laughter, mainly from Mikey.

“I’ll go tell them to pipe down.” Ben says sweetly, patting Eddie’s hand and getting up from the table.

Eddie and Beverly speak in hushed tones. The boys had quieted down in the kitchen, but they whispered. Even when they were just having a simple conversation they always acted as if they were trading secrets. Maybe they were. They imitated a pair of twins closeness with ease.

“I talked to my mom today.” Eddie says simply. This makes Beverly raise her eyes, turning her head to look at him directly.

“Was she nice to you?” She asks. Eddie just shrugs, looking down at the floor where both of their feet are touching.

“She told me what she always tells me. That I shouldn’t be so far from my true home, that I am wasting my time and money with school. That I need to come back to her. That I’m took delicate to take care of myself.” The more Eddie speaks his eyebrows furrow deeper and deeper. He is almost hot in the face by the end of his small rant. He looks back to Beverly, a look of determination in his eyes.

“I don’t need her.”

“You don’t need her.”

“I’m  _ not _ delicate.”

“You’re not.”

“And I can take care myself. I don’t need anyone telling me what I can and can’t do anymore.” He says with finality. Ever since the shackles of being a minor were released, he finally felt freedom. He could speak his mind. Make his own money. Set his own rules. He didn’t think he could ever let it go.

Beverly just nods reassuringly, hugging him a little tighter. It wasn’t often that Sonia Kaspbrak called Eddie, but when she did, it was always to undermine him. Beverly, as well as the rest of the Losers, thought that her bi-monthly calls always just set Eddie back a step or two. His self esteem was fragile already, he didn’t need the extra help from his mother to send him into a whirlpool of insecurity and uncertainty. His anxiety helped do that for him.

Eddie doesn’t tell Beverly everything, though. Of course he doesn’t. He keeps the deepest of his feelings to himself.

In all honesty, it wasn’t just the phone call from his mom that had upset him. It was his whole day. It was unbearably slow, he had no homework he could work on, and it was a beautiful day out. He was stuck inside organizing books and relabeling the shelves.

Eddie also felt incredibly lonely. So much of his time was spent alone, and it was getting harder and harder to take. But he needed this job. They all needed him to have this job. He had thought about quitting multiple times this past year, but no other positions across Main St. had opened up. What he really wanted was to work for the Flower Shop next door to Bev’s bakery. But they were an even small building than his bookstore, and he knew that if they needed an extra hand the position could be filled quickly. 

He wished that he had someone. He felt the ache for it all day. 

He did have Beverly. But Beverly also had Ben. Eddie didn’t have someone like that, someone to hold him when he cried at night. Someone to kiss his eyelids in the morning. Someone to tangle limbs with. He just wanted intimacy. And while he had the Losers, and a long-time crush on Bill he only recently got over, he just never got the butterflies for any of them like he knew he could have. He was in love with them… But they didn’t fill that romantic gap like he needed. Sure, he had had a few ‘boyfriends’ before, but they were mostly used for his sexual awakening more than for settling down.

Eddie wanted someone to call his.

Just then, Big Bill come bounding down the stairs. He is in a red button up and dark jeans. He is finishing up tying a skinny black tie around his neck when he smiles over at Bev and Eddie, little hearts dancing in his eyes as he sees his friends for the first time today.

“Good morning.” Bill says, patting his tie against his chest.

“Bill, it is eight at night.” Beverly giggles, patting his arm while he gives a quick hug to a pouting Eddie.

“Well, it’s my morning! These overnight shifts have been killing me lately. I hate not being able to see any of you, and I have to go to work literally  _ right now _ .” Bill sighs.

This makes Stan crane his long neck around the kitchen doorway, giving Bill a disbelieving look.

“You’re not staying for Friday Night Dinner?!” He asks snappily.

“Nope, sorry Stanny, not tonight. I got called in early because Shelly couldn’t make her shift. And to top it all off, tonight is the big 80s dance party, it it is going to get fucking crazy. I have to get there early before everyone shows up to the bar to prepare.” Bill is already walking towards the door, grabbing his jacket off of their coat rack.

“But please do save me a plate, Stan. I wouldn’t miss your cooking for the world.” Bill says, giving Stan a cute little smirk and Stan just smiles right back at him. “Okay, Billy.”

Before Bill puts his hand on the doorknob, however, Beverly basically lights up like a Christmas tree, throwing her hands up in and air and yelling an “AHA!”

Eddie jumps, putting his small hand over his heart before glaring over at her. “Jesus, Bev, you are going to give me a heart attack, what is it?”

“Eddie! Sweets! Let’s go the fuck out tonight! That will cheer you up, right?!” She says the statement like its a question but Eddie knows she isn’t looking for an answer. Her mind is completely made up. They’re going.

“Ugh, Bev, no. I’m really not in the mood. I feel like I had the life sucked out of me by an energy vampire or something.” Eddie pleads, his head hung low. The literal last thing that Eddie wanted to do right now was go see other people have fun while he wallowed in his loneliness and drank a vodka tonic. 

“AS SOON AS WE ARE DONE WITH DINNER WE ARE GOING OUT, BIITCH!” Beverly yelled. “HEY, BOYS, ARE YOU COMING TOO OR WHAT?”

Bill’s face split open into an incredibly large smile. He would get to hang out with his best friends after all. He knew they would just loiter around the counter while he bartends, like they always do.

“Nope!” “Me either!” Come the voices of Stan and Mike, both of them obviously wrapped up in whatever tomfoolery they were usually pulling together. “It’s Saturday tomorrow, we have to open the tea shop early anyway!”

Ben finally comes walking back out of the kitchen, setting a few plates of food on the dining room table. “I’m in. I’d love to come with you guys, Beverly.”

“Alright, it’s final! Ben, Eddie, and Bev out on the town. It isn’t going to know what hit it.” She cheered, spinning around to shoot Eddie a gorgeous full-toothed smile. He couldn’t resist her.

“Okay, Bev. But only or a few hours-”

“Victory! Stan, Mike, hurry up with the grub so I can get Eddie’s gay ass to The Gallery!”

Eddie was definitely in over his head. Definitely.

 

After dinner, Eddie and Beverly took a few minutes trying on different outfits, and then the three of them were walking down Main St towards Bill’s bar. Eddie was wearing tight black jeans and a white polo. Inconspicuous, simple, and would hopefully help him blend into the background. The last thing he need tonight was unwanted attention.

Beverly and Ben were holding hands, swinging their arms in between one another. Eddie smiles at them, walking a little bit slower and trailing just behind. 

Ben and Bev’s relationship was a strange one. She knew how much Ben adored her. Loved her, even. And more than the usual Loser Love for one another. He had since he was 13 years old. His love was endlessly deep and ragefully romantic. She knew. But it never stopped her from dating other men, or women, and keeping an open invitation for anyone who wished to flirt with her.

And Ben let her. Sure, they shared a room and bed together, but Ben grew up with Beverly and knew just how stifling and abusive her father was. Ben wasn’t here to keep Beverly on a leash, and certainly didn’t want to smother any of the radiance she exuded. She always came home to him, and that is what mattered to him. That he was the favorite. (And he was.)

Their relationship just worked, and that is what mattered to them. They were both incredibly happy.

It made Eddie only half jealous.

 

They eventually made it to The Gallery, and Eddie quickly took a seat right smack center of the bar counter. Bill walked over to him immediately, giving him a large smile.

“What’ll it be tonight, Kaspbrak?” He teased. 

“Vodka soda, Bill, you already know my order, you dork.” Eddie laughs, his eyes and nose crinkling. Ben and Bev walk up behind him, giving their orders to the other bartender. 

“I know, I just love asking.” Bill slides the drink over to him and winks. Ben and Bev receive their drinks and immediately hit the dance floor. The bar is pumping Heart of Glass by Blondie and the crowd it singing along. 

“Aren’t you going to do dance?” Bill asks, wiping up a spill on the counter.

“No. I really didn’t feel like coming, but you know Beverly. Once she thinks she comes up with a great idea…”

“... She sticks to it.” Bill finishes knowingly. “Well alright, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything.” And with that, Bill walks to the other end of the bar counter. 

Eddie spends the few half hour just people watching. A lot of the people dancing had dressed for the occasion and were dressed in ridiculous neon clothing and legwarmers. 80s music blasted from the speakers, and Eddie could barely hear himself speak. It was the exact opposite of his entire work day earlier that evening, and he felt like he was almost getting whiplash.

He eventually finishes his drink and gets another from Bill. Just as he is about to get his drink handed to him, another body walks up to the counter, their arm brushing Eddie’s.

And what Eddie sees nearly takes his breath away.

Just in front of him is a tall man with unruly black curls tied up into a loose bun on the top of his head. His thick eyebrows perfectly match a pair of dark black irises. The man is wearing a long blue button-up dress that had small little white flowers all over it. It rested just above his shoes.

Eddie had never seen anyone who looked so peculiar, yet so undeniably beautiful. The man’s jaw was strict and square, but it was matched perfectly with a feminine and full pair of lips. Lips that were talking.

To him.

“Uh- w-what?” Eddie says, blinking a few times before looking up to meet the man’s eyes.

“I said, hi! What’re you doing here all on your own, gorgeous?” The stranger asks, voice nearly yelling over the music from the dance floor.

_ “W-what?” _ Was Eddie hearing this gorgeous creature correctly? 

“I said, you’re quite a sight for sore eyes. I was wondering if I could keep you company?” The man flirted, lowering his head so that he was at eye-level with Eddie.

“If… You want to…” Eddie was at a loss for words at first, but quickly caught back up with himself. He couldn’t stop the nervous twitch of his hands around his drink, however. 

“What’s your name, Stranger?” He flirted. Was this flirting? Was he doing this right?

“Richie.” He says, taking a quick sip of his drink, not breaking eye-contact with Eddie. “What’s yours, jitterbug?” 

“E-Eddie. Eddie Kaspbrak.” 

“Eddie, huh? Well, Eddie Spaghetti, what do you say to dancing with me? I have been watching you, and you haven’t gotten up from this stool. Are you with anyone?” Richie asks, quirking his head to the side while his eyes smoldered into Eddie’s.

“O-oh. Yeah, I’m here with my friends Ben and Be-” Just as Eddie is about to finish his sentence, a song comes on slowly over the speakers.

Richie’s eyes go wide, and an enormous grin takes over his features. He grabs Eddie’s hand away from his vodka soda and pulls him off of his stool.

“What are you doing?!” Eddie nearly shrieks, his anxiety through the roof despite the two drinks in his system. Richie was pulling him towards the dance floor. 

Richie took him towards the crowd, but didn’t take them into the ocean of bodies. He stopped just short of the actual dance floor and took both of Eddie’s hands in his. Richie started swaying his arms, happy to dance just outside of the gaggle of people. 

“I love this song! Dance with me, Eddie!” Queen’s I Want To Break Free was absolutely blasting through the speakers, and Richie looked elated.

Eddie had never actually danced before. I mean, he had, but not really. He would bob his head up and down to a song he liked, or shimmy his shoulders while he sat in one place, but he had never actually… Gotten up and danced before.

Richie’s long hair quickly escaped from its hair-tie capture so that when he moved his head back and forth it swished and swayed under the powerful and colorful lights. Eddie was simply captivated. 

“Dance, Eddie Spaghetti! Like this!” Richie released his hands then, and began to dance wildly all on his own. His chest was heaving with the effort, and in Eddie’s opinion, he looked absolutely adorable and ridiculous. This guy didn’t have one actual dancer bone in his body and he was going bananas. His blue dress swished around as he moved. Eddie laughed out loud at him, and it just made Richie smile wider. 

“You look crazy!” Eddie yells. Eddie still doesn’t dance though, only awkwardly keeping his arms cross against his stomach as he looks around nervously. Richie was going to have to use another tactic.

_ “I want to break free! I want to breaaakkk freee!” _ Richie sings at him, grabbing both of his hands again and looking him deep in the eyes. “Sing with me instead, Eds!”

Eddie looks around sheepishly again, still very self conscious. He does start to relax though, because even after Richie did his strange and hilarious dance performance, nobody was looking at them or paying them any mind. Eddie let a little smile play on his lips before he finally gives into Richie entirely, and belts out the next few lines with him as the lights dance on their faces.

_ “I have got to break freee! God knows, God knows I want to break free! _ ” Eddie really loved this song too know, if he was being honest. Richie laughs out loud, and they both sing to each other with huge smiles on their faces as they lightly swing their arms back and forth, not unlike Ben and Beverly did on their walk here.

I Want To Break Free slowly melts into the next song, Talking Head’s This Must Be The Place. Eddie thinks that now the song is finished that Richie will pull away, but he does the opposite. He pulls Eddie close and places his hands on his hips. Eddie reciprocates by placing both of his arms on Richie’s shoulders, lightly swaying back and forth as the music plays.

“Have I met you before? I’m getting crazy deja vu. Like I was meant to meet you here.” Richie admits, a playful dance in his eyes and a crooked-toothed grin glued to his face.

“Well, I work at Eddie’s Bookstore on the end of Main…” Eddie begins, still a little bashful.

“That’s it! I work on Main St. too! Right across the street from there!” Richie says brightly, like this is the best news he has ever heard.

They don’t talk for almost the entirety of the song, just glancing at each other while the music continues to play boomingly around them. Richie sings along to a few of the more ridiculous lines, and Eddie can’t help but keep laughing at his absurdity. Eventually though, the music ends, and Eddie comes back to reality

“I have to be getting home now, Eddie Spaghetti.” Richie says, lightly pulling away from Eddie’s embrace. But Eddie doesn’t want him to go yet. 

Eddie pulls him closer for a moment longer, putting his lips up to Richie’s ear.

“I want to see you again.” He says urgently and breathlessly, hoping that he whispered it loud enough in the taller man’s ear.

“I’m sure you’ll see me around, Spaghetti Man.” Richie says with a grin. Just then, Richie smooshes a soft kiss to his cheek and unwraps himself out of Eddie’s arms.

Eddie is almost disappointed, watching Richie’s back walk away from him. Before finally coming back to his wits.

“Hey, Richie! Don’t call me that!” He yells, cupping his mouth with his hands. 

Richie just laughs, giving Eddie a little wave and salute, and then he is out the bar doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Eddie is already so fond of Rich and its like,,,, buddy,,, richies kinda just like that,,,,,, ily buddy but (no spoiler alerts im just sayin)
> 
> A few headcannons:  
> -Bill is literally head over heels for each of the Losers and kisses them at any given opportunity like a lovesick dad  
> -Ben is the most understanding and giving and is relentlessly picking up after the other Losers messes around the house and never complains he just wants to help ugh  
> -Beverly is the glue to the group. She holds them all together, she is the absolute center of attention. Shes like the Sun to their Solar System and I love her  
> -Richie is honestly the weirdest little shit and I can't believe he is real  
> -Without Richie growing up with him, I imagine it took Eddie much much longer to stand up to his mother and his other bullies. I feel like Richie's constant compliments and bickering with Eddie really helped him get a backbone and grow a self esteem, so without Rich, Eddie is just a little bubble of self conscious anxiety  
> -Without growing up with Eds though, Rich is this honest to god weirdo that just can't figure out how to fit into society (hence the homelessness and overall tomfoolery, i say)
> 
>  If you're interested in knowing what dress Richie is wearing: http://dazedimg.dazedgroup.netdna-cdn.com/620/azure/dazed-prod/1140/8/1148475.jpeg
> 
> Tell me what you all think! And come hang out with my on my tumblr!!! @reddieloserz


	3. Spellbound

Eddie and the gang ended up going home with Bill at the end of his shift that night. Ben and Bev danced the night away, high on the bliss of being with their partner. After Richie had left, Eddie felt that old familiar cynicism and sat back down at his place at the bar counter.

He talked with Bill most of the night, both of them people watching and laughing at a lot of the absurdity that went down before them. Eddie and Bill were never best friends, thanks to Eddie’s crush (unbeknownst to Bill). But since moving to The House they had grown to be extremely close. It seems that that is what happened with all of them. Once you move far away from everything you know, all you really have is each other. Eddie didn’t know if he would find a better love than that. But as he sat and laughed with Bill, his heart pinned for something more. He hoped that he would.

It had been months since Eddie had stayed out this late though, damn near three in the morning. He was so exhausted he had to have Bill hold his hand and guide him to his small room upstairs. 

Bev and Ben drunkenly gave them both a soft kiss on the mouth, and then went hand in hand into their own room. Eddie could hear faint talk and laughter every few minutes, and he knew they weren’t going to bed anytime soon.

Bill helped pull Eddie’s shoes off of his feet, but left Eddie with his thick socks and jacket on. It really was freezing in their house, the fireplace long gone cold since they left the house earlier that night. Bill then pulled the comforter out from under Eddie’s immobile body, and he tucks him in nice and tight. He leans over Eddie, barely grazing a kiss into his hair before he is leaning back up to walk out of the room.

“Night, Eddie. I’m glad I saw you dancing tonight. I love you.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and as he turned around, he felt a small, warm hand grasp his.

“Stay, Bill.” Eddie says quietly. He gave Bill’s hand a tight squeeze, stopping him from leaving the room. Bill turned back around to face Eddie’s sad expression. Bill thought for sure that he had already fallen asleep. 

“Stay.”

There was a desperation in Eddie’s voice that he was almost embarrassed about. He knew that Bill’s room, which was the attic, was the coldest and the largest in the whole house. It had to be at least ten degrees colder when you went up there. Eddie would tell himself that he only offered for Bill to sleep with him because of the cold weather, but he knew himself better than that.

He was lonely. He wanted a warm body next to his. He usually took advantage of Bill’s kindness in this way. He would ask to borrow Bill’s coat, or coax him into letting him hold hands. Bill did it because of his nearly father-like love for his Losers. Eddie did it so he could pretend, at least for a few minutes, that he had someone just to call his own. No sharing

Bill’s face lit up at Eddie’s request, and he quickly shucked off his own shoes, coat, tie, and jeans before climbing into Eddie’s small bed with him. He loved any opportunity to get some affection from any one of his kids, and he couldn’t control the grin that split his face in two as he snuggled into Eddie’s back.

“Is this okay?” Bill asked, acting as the Big Spoon without actually throwing an arm over Eddie’s body. The warmth that radiated from Bill was familiar and welcoming, and Eddie took a huge big breath in to smell Bill’s signature scent.

“Yeah, it’s okay. Goodnight, Billy.” Eddie said, feeling contentment and exhaustion take over his senses.

“Goodnight, Eddie.” 

Eddie pretended Bill was another person. Tried to ignore just how familiar Bill’s scent was. He closed his eyes, feeling Bill’s soft heartbeat on his chest. He pretended that the hair he felt on his neck was black and curly. 

He fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

  
  


The rest of his weekend began how all his other ones do- Running errands and doing his house chores. Working full time and having a huge ass house didn’t really give him a lot of extra free time.

Everyone else in the house also had a list of things that they had to get done throughout the month- Beverly usually did all of the laundry, Mike did all of the lawn work, Stan did all of the budgeting and billing, things like that. Eddie insisted that he be the one to clean both bathrooms and the kitchen. He said that most bacteria and viruses were brought about through sinks and plumbing, and nobody else was about to argue with him on that- they all agreed that his job had to be the worst out of everyone’s in the house. He liked it though, it just reassured him that things were up to his cleanliness, especially the goddamn bathtub. Living with four hard working boys wasn’t the easiest for him- they stunk.

He had powered through his chores in record time, so he decided to go down to the basement to help out Beverly. Out of everyone, her job was definitely the most time consuming. A few loads had already been completed. Stan, Mike, and Bill’s small hampers were full of fresh smelling linens. It put a smile on Eddie’s face to see Bev’s care in her folding- even all of their socks and underwear.

They were both sitting and folding Ben and Eddie’s last two loads, when Bill came down to fetch his clean clothes. He immediately swept Beverly up into a huge hug, as he always did, and blew a raspberry into her cheek. She laughed and shoved him off as he said thank you, simply clipping, “Don’t mention it Big B.”

Bill grabbed his hamper, shouting over his shoulder up the stairs.

  
“BOYS! Beverly is done with the laundry, come get your shit!” 

Bill gave Bev one more big smile before climbing the staircase, but halfway up he seemed to remember he needed to mention something. Ben and Stan came thumping down, arguing back and forth about something having to do with plants.

“Oh, Beverly. I forgot to tell you- your friend Trashmouth came into the bar last night.” Bill says. This makes Beverly perk up and Eddie pull a grossed out face.

“Trashmouth?” They say in unison, Beverly in excitement and Eddie is disgust. “What kind of name is Trashmouth?” He adds quietly, finishing up with the pile of towels he was folding.

“Yeah! He came in and auditioned for Keith. He totally got a spot to play every Sunday- our open mic night.” Bill says.

“That’s so fucking awesome, Bill, I told him to go in and talk with you about it! Did you get to meet him?” She says, completely enthralled.

“Yeah, I did. The dude is a total card- seriously bonkers. He hung out with me at my counter most of last night, and he wanted me to let you know he was playing next week.” Bill says, a smile pulling at his lips at the memory.

Eddie hadn’t heard a word about  _ Trashmouth _ \- let alone that Beverly had a friend outside of her coworkers and the Losers. He tried to snuff out his jealousy, but it was loud and irritation panged in his chest. Who was this Trashmouth anyway? And why was he so quickly becoming a favorite for his two best friends?

Eddie couldn’t keep the sour expression off of his face, but Bev and Bill ignored him as they chatted. Ben leaned over beside Eddie to pick up his clothes, before standing up straight and speaking up himself.

“Yeah, I know Trashmouth! He was the first person to sign my petition last week. He is the strangest mixture of weirdo and heartthrob. I couldn’t stop blushing, honestly.” Ben said, shame nowhere in his voice. Ben was extremely secure in his masculinity and it would of made Eddie smile at him if he wasn’t already so irrationally irritated. 

This made Beverly laugh and pinch Ben’s cheeks. 

“Yeah, Mike and I met him at the Tea Shop yesterday- apparently he is a street performer. Have any of you guys seen him play music on the corner near Eddie’s Bookstore yet? Is he as irritating to watch as he is to talk to?” Stan quips in. He had a strange expression on his face, like he was trying his best to fight off a smile at the mere mention of Trashmouth.

Comprehension colored Eddie’s mind-  _ Oh. _ So that was who they were talking about. Eddie had to admit, he found Trashmouth extremely magnetic as well. Not only that, but for the past few weeks he had found Trashmouth’s music to be one of the best parts of his day. His gravelly voice and soft guitar would sometimes help Eddie drift off to sleep, just the memory of his music soothing him. 

Eddie shook himself out of his thoughts just as everyone began to head back upstairs with their laundry. Eddie quickly picked up his pile of clothes to follow behind them.

“Well, I’m glad all of you already know him, because I was going to use this to lead into another question. I asked him if he wanted to come over tonight for a bonfire- is that okay with all of you?” Bill asked from his place on the top of the stairs, looking down on the four of them with a questioning gaze. 

“Yes!” Beverly squealed, her face nearly red with joy and excitement. Ben and Stan nodded as well, simply happy that they were going to be having a fire soon- it was getting cold from the sun going down already.

Eddie knew that this was going to be another long night. How did he always get roped into his friend’s misadventures? 

While Mike was getting a fire started in the backyard, Ben was preparing hot dogs and burgers to be cooked over the fire.

The anticipation of their very first guest in their home was getting Eddie pretty riled up. He felt near constant waves of anxiety pool into his belly every few minutes. He hadn’t even met the guy yet, but he couldn’t help but already feel like Eddie wasn’t going to be a big fan. He wasn’t one to judge a book by its cover, but just from the details he had picked up from Ben and Beverly he could tell- this guy was a handful.

Eddie swallowed and rubbed his face.  _ You got this, Eddie. It’s just some guy- just a guest. It’ll be… fun. _ He thought. The word didn’t sit right in his head, even, and Eddie sighed. He wasn’t the best at making friends, and he found himself lucky that he had managed to make the five that he already had. 

Beverly, being able to tell just how anxious he really was, knocked on his bedroom door. He called for her to come in, and she quietly opened the door. She stood in front of him, offering a bowl of something that smelled fruity and held up an entire cucumber in front of his eyes.

“Cucumber facial?” She offered, a smile playing on her lips and her eyebrows raised. Eddie’s face broke into a grin. She always knew how to make him feel better.

They walked into the bathroom and Bev sat down on the floor, legs crossed and back pressed up against the bathtub. She had already applied the light green clay mask to the face, and she got busy cutting up the cucumber on a cutting board she had brought upstairs. 

Eddie stood in front of the mirror and began painting his freckled face with the cucumber mask. He noticed his skin was dry and nearly cracked, thanks to the cold climate. He scrunched his nose as he rubbing it into his skin, the mask making his face freezing.

“So… Who was that you were dancing with Friday night?” Beverly asks with a coy smile, not bothering to beat around the bush. This makes Eddie blanch and she giggles at him. 

“Oh, what? You didn’t think I didn’t notice, did you? Mother knows all.” She says as she laughs at her own joke. Her laughter was like music to Eddie’s ears. 

“N-no! It was just…” Eddie tries to resist the smile that wants to crawl on to his face. “It was no one.” 

Richie had actually been on Eddie’s mind almost constantly the last few days. They way his front teeth peaked out over his bottom lip, his thick bush of curls, the blue dress he was wearing. The image of Richie was imprinted into Eddie’s mind. It wasn’t just the way that he looked, either. Richie was funny, flamboyant, and just plain odd. He has the strangest and most addicting energy, and Eddie wanted more. He didn’t think that people like Richie actually existed, let alone would be interested in spending most of their night with Eddie.

“It was not no one. Come on, tell me about him. Are you going to see him again? Or was it just a one-time thing?” Her questioning gets interrupted when she picks up a cucumber slice and bites into it. 

“He… We… I think it was just a one time thing,” Eddie begins. “But I really, really hope it isn’t. I actually can’t get him out of my mind, Bev.” He admits, blush hidden behind his face mask. 

“What was his name?” She asks quietly, trying to hide her smile behind her cucumber slice.

“Richie.” He says breathlessly, a stupidly dreamy look taking over his face. 

“What was he like? He seems to have made quite the impression on you.”

“He… He was  _ electric. _ He just walked right up to me and grabbed my hand, asked me to dance with him. I was scared shitless but he… He was so himself that I felt comfortable to be  _ myself, _ you know? Like I couldn’t be any weirder than him, so I felt kind of… Safe.” He concludes, not knowing he felt that way until he uttered the words. 

“Did you guys not exchange numbers, or…?”

“I told him I wanted to see him again. He promised that I would.” Eddie blushes even deeper at this, but he is all done applying his facial so neither of them see it. “He said he works on Main St. too… So hopefully I’ll bump into him eventually.”

Just as Eddie finishes his sentence, the doorbell rings. 

Beverly immediately perks up, her smile growing to an incredible degree. 

“That has to be Trashmouth!” She yelps and hands the cutting board of cucumber over to Eddie. She quickly opens the door and speed-walks to the stairs. She doesn’t even stop to wash the mask off of her face before she is already downstairs.

Eddie quickly follows behind her, placing one cucumber over his left eye and taking another slice to complete his look when he has a moment to sit down. He climbs down the steps just as Beverly swings open the door, flinging herself into the arms of a very tall man.

“T! Hi! Welcome to the Losers Club!” Beverly pulls away from him and giggles, wiping off some of the mask that she accidentally got on Trashmouth’s cheek.

“Hey, Bev! Thank you for having me, Ma Cherie. Where’s Bill?” Richie’s voice asks.

Wait.

_ Richie’s voice? _

Eddie finally steps onto the main floor and just as he takes a chomp of his other cucumber slices. When his eyes rake over Richie’s tall form, he is shocked into stillness. His mouth hangs open, mid-bite. As Eddie stares, his other cucumber falls off of his eye and onto the floor.

Richie’s eyes meet his in that moment, and instant familiarity colors Richie’s dark eyes. A giant grin graces his face and he lifts both of his arms up into the air, walking towards Eddie.

  
“What?! Spaghetti Man!”

Richie is wearing a yellow button up that has psychedelic patterns all over it. It was button only to his sternum, and a little bit of dark chest hair peaked out. It was paired with, you guessed it, a matching colored floor-length skirt and vans. Richie’s hair wasn’t as wild as it had been the other night, but it definitely was voluminous in only the way Richie’s hair could be. Curls cascaded around his face and his beard looked much darker than it had Friday night. He looks absolutely gorgeous, and Eddie couldn’t react fast enough before Richie’s arms were folded around his shoulders, bringing him in for a warm and sincere hug.

Eddie stared wide eyed, not reciprocating the embrace, and staring directly at Bev in horror. She just looked on in fascination. They knew each other?

And here Eddie was, next to the boy of his affections, and he was clad only in tiny red shorts and a yellow shirt, looking like a complete fool. His face was absolutely smothered with his clay mask, and his mouth was stuffed full of cucumber. So stuffed, he couldn’t swallow in time before he had to say  _ something  _ to Richie. 

“Hi, ‘Chee.” Eddie says around a full mouth, swallowing painfully. Richie pulls away from him, but keeps his hands braced on Eddie’s shoulder while he gets a better look at the smaller man.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. I didn’t know you knew Bev! Doing a little bit of self care, Princess?” Richie says, wiping away some of the clay mask that had rubbed onto his shirt from hugging Eddie. And Eddie knows that he was not meaning to be condescending, but he felt so embarrassed in that moment he couldn’t help but lightly push Richie away from him.

“Hey! Don’t call me that!” He huffs, glancing over to Beverly in annoyance but she is just staring back at them in complete amusement. She has a mischievous look in her eyes, and she just keeps glancing back and forth between them. 

Eddie’s small temper tantrum just makes Richie laugh, and he is bringing Eddie in for another hug, that Eddie begrudgingly accepts. He thanks whatever God there is out there that the embarrassing facial mask is at least covering up an even more embarrassing blush that has spread across his cheeks. 

“Wait, wait, wait.  _ Richie? _ The same guy Eddie was hanging out with the other night? Wait- Your name is  _ Richard?” _ Beverly asks loudly, walking over to Richie and pinching his arm. 

“You never told me your actual name, T! What the hell?!” He retaliates by pinching her back, releasing Eddie from his friendly hold. He keeps going in for pinches a few more times, following her as she guides him into the kitchen to find Bill.

"Trashmouth my stage name! Like Madonna or-"

"Like Madonna?! You think Trashmouth is equal to Madonna?"

Eddie just stands right in his place, not bothering to watch them leave. He was completely shell-shocked. Richie was Trashmouth? The Trashmouth that everyone was so fond of, cascading around Main St like he owned it? Trashmouth, the man that had become the soundtrack to his life since moving to Portland?

The world was much smaller than Eddie ever anticipated. 

And Richie just kept getting stranger.

  
  


They had all ended up sitting in a circle around their small campfire, and Ben had just finished barbecuing some burgers. Most of the other Losers had little hot dogs on sticks, and everyone was quietly chatting amongst themselves as they huddled around the warmth of the flames. Everyone except for Eddie, that is.

Eddie had quickly gone upstairs and washed his face, changed out of his pajamas, and dressed into something more suitable for a cute boy to see him in. A cute boy that had danced with him for nearly two hours. A cute boy that held him and called him  _ gorgeous. _ A cute boy that, evidently, Eddie cared a lot about. A lot about his opinion of him, a least. 

But Richie hadn’t stopped in his socializing to come talk to Eddie again, not even  _ once, _ since he greeted him at the front door. He was too busy sharing a beer with Bill, talking about Bill’s art that had recently been put up in The Gallery. Or sitting next to Stan, using different Voices and accents to get him annoyed and riled up until he eventually started throwing buns at Richie while the others begged him to stop wasting food. Richie spent most of his time with Beverly, however, and she was seated on the ground in front of him while he sat in a chair beside Ben, talking quietly to one another.

The Losers had told Richie about how they all grew up together, all sharing the same school, and eventually all running away from home as soon as possible. They told Richie all about their childhood antics, about how Ben and Bev fell in love, about how Stan and Mike had gotten their jobs at the Tea Shop. They basically caught him all the way up into present day, not saving any embarrassing details. They even told Richie about the Roach Incident and Stan’s story telling nearly brought him to tears.

Eddie had decided that his best course of action was to just smoke some weed, eat a hot dog, and stay permeated into the background. Like he always was. At this point he wasn’t even sure if he wanted Richie’s attention anymore. He felt so deflated that he just wanted this night to be over altogether.

He didn’t go upstairs though, because he knew that that would be weird and that the other Losers really did want him there. So instead he remained silent, staring into the fire while he listened to his other friends happily chat amongst themselves. Everyone really was enjoying Richie’s company, he fell right into place with them like a missing puzzle piece. It would of been a very lovely scene altogether, Eddie thinks, if he wasn’t already feeling out of place himself. 

Mike seemed to notice his lack of presence, because the large man picked up a lawn chair and plopped it right next to Eddie. Eddie jumped a little, but immediately relaxed after seeing Mike’s warm and friendly face.

“What are you doing all the way over here, bud?” Mike asked, placing a large and warm hand against the top of Eddie’s back. Eddie leans into his touch, gazing back into the darker man’s eyes. Mike just had that effect on people, you know? Where just his presence alone brought a feeling of serenity. 

“Nothing.” Eddie shrugs at him, immediately shifting his gaze to the ground. “I guess I’m just not feeling very… social.” His eyes drift over to Richie and Mike doesn’t miss it. 

“Feeling anxious about the unwelcome guest?” Mike asks, hitting a complete bullseye. He always knew what Eddie was thinking. No, what they were all thinking. He had to have been an empath or something, Eddie ponders.

“... Yes.” Eddie admits, fingers twitching around his plate. “Not about the guest, just… In general, I guess.”

“You’ve been staring at Trashmouth all night. Why don’t you go talk to him?” Mike asks, rubbing a small circle into Eddie’s shoulder blades. 

_ Because I want him to come over here and talk to me,  _ Eddie thinks stubbornly. He knew Mike was right, of course. If you want something, go get it. He shouldn’t just be waiting around for Richie to make the move, but he was definitely out of his element if he were to be the one to. 

“I heard him talking about you in the kitchen with Bev and Bill.” Mike says quietly, eyes trained on Richie so that he doesn’t overhear him. “I think he likes you.” 

Eddie’s interest was definitely peaked but he remained steadfast. He wasn’t going to give Mike what he wanted, and decided to be a turd instead. “Yeah, well he doesn’t even know me.” 

“Let him get to know you, then.” Mike glances back towards Eddie, giving him a flirtatious smile before getting up out of his seat and moving it back next to Stan. 

Eddie feels his heartbeat in his throat as he looks back over towards Richie. His face was illuminated by the orange glow of the bonfire and he looked gorgeous. He was playing with Bev’s hair with one hand, and flicking his cigarette with the other.

And if Eddie was hoping that it looked like he wasn’t pining, he would be absolutely mistaken. Eddie had this dreamy look in his eye that he used to get when he would look towards Bill, but this time it was much worse. His eyes fluttered and he only realized he let out a little sigh when Bev glanced over towards him and quirked an eyebrow.

He straightened up, clearing his throat, and looking away from her and glancing literally anywhere else. 

_ Get ahold of yourself, Kaspbrak. It’s just Richie. _

And it was just Richie. Gorgeous, enthusiastic, charming Richie and Eddie hated him for it. He didn’t end up getting up to talk to Richie that night, either. He didn’t even end up sticking around long enough to say goodbye to him when he left. Instead, he tucked himself into bed a few hours early, and willed the romantic thoughts that he had been playing with all weekend about Richie away. 

If Richie wasn’t actually interested in him, fine. He wasn’t going to be interested either.   
  
  


“Does Eddie hate me?” Richie asks a few nights later, as Beverly is getting prepared to close up shop. The thought had been bothering him ever since the bonfire, and he couldn’t get that little firecracker’s face out of his brain. The way Eddie had glared at him all night didn’t sit well in his stomach.

“Hate you?” Beverly scoffs, sweeping the floor. “No. Why would you say that?”

“Because I think he does. Did you see the daggers he was giving me all night?” Richie said, voice rising. “What did I do to deserve the Spaghetti Glare of the century? I mean… I thought we were cool.”

This makes Beverly laugh out loud. “He does have kind of a resting bitch face, doesn’t he? No, T, that is just what he looks like when he’s nervous.” 

“Nervous? Why would he be nervous?” Richie asks, completely clueless.

“Wow. You’re completely clueless.” Beverly breathes, staring at him with pity.

“What? No I’m not… Beverly! Don’t laugh!”

  
  


“Does Richie hate me?” Eddie asks that same night. 

He and Beverly are sitting on the couch downstairs. A movie plays quietly in the background and all the other Losers are fast asleep. Eddie couldn’t fall asleep though, and he had woken Beverley up and convinced her to watch a few movies with him. They both had to work exceptionally early tomorrow morning, but she just grinned at him and said “Of course.”

This didn’t happen too often, but Beverly knew that sleep didn’t come easy to Eddie when he had something plaguing his mind. This isn’t what she thought it was, though, and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

“What? Beverly, don’t laugh!”

“Sorry, sorry… No, he doesn’t hate you, Eddie. What makes you say that?” She asks, eyes still trained on the television as she tosses some popcorn into her mouth.

“He just… kind of avoided me all night, at the bonfire. I thought that he was going to want to talk with me but… I guess he was too busy.” Eddie’s tone falls completely flat at the end of his sentence, his disappointment extremely evident in his voice. 

She hums in acknowledgement, and as she chews on the new information, she picks up the remote and presses pause. Beverly turns to Eddie, crossing her legs, and takes his hands in hers. He just stares down at his lap, feeling embarrassed but simultaneously relieved at the confession. 

He couldn’t get Richie off of his mind. Stupid Richie. What gave him the right to invade Eddie’s mind, anyway? They shared a dance, so what? Richie had made him feel alive and wanted for the first time in months… So what?

“You really like him, yeah?” Beverly says softly. Eddie doesn’t reply, just scrunches his face up in mock disgust. She lets out another laugh, but quickly quiets down. Her gaze is burning holes into Eddie’s head and he eventually makes eye contact with her.

“You’re worth getting to know, Eddie. You need to find some self confidence. You’re adorable, and smart, and really fucking funny. You have to stop beating yourself up just because you get a little nervous. It’s normal to clam up around someone you like.”

“But Richie doesn’t clam up! He is loud and.... Abrasive…” Eddie says, letting a little bit of venom slip into his voice. Stupid Richie.

“Yeah, well, Trashmouth is a spaz. I’m sure you can already tell.” Beverly teases. This makes Eddie crack a smile.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And I’m betting that reason is the same reason he was too distracted to remember to talk to you. Boys are stupid. Richie is no different.” Eddie snorts at this, and nods enthusiastically in agreement. Beverly leans forward and places a kiss softly to Eddie’s mouth, platonic and sweet.

“I love you, Eddie. Don’t let some boy make you feel unimportant. If you like him,  _ you _ let him know just how important you are.”

“Okay. I love you too, Bev.”

  
  


The next time Eddie sees Richie is when he is walking to work that Friday morning. He hears Richie before he sees him, of course, and Eddie steels himself.  _ Hold your ground, Kasprak.  _

_ You hear laughter, _

_ Cracking through the walls, _

_ It sends you spinning. _

_ You have no choice. _

Richie’s voice fills the cold air and he sounds beautiful. His voice is extremely soft and unlike the original song. He has slowed down the song considerably and he is swaying back and forth, looking extremely carefree. Richie’s eyes are closed as he sings aloud, feeling the music in its entirety.

_ You hear laughter, _

_ Cracking through the walls, _

_ It sends you spinning. _

_ You have no choice. _

Just as Eddie is unlocking the front door to his bookstore and thinking that he is home free, Richie put his hands over the strings of his guitar and stop singing.

“Eddie Spaghetti!” He calls, looking both ways before he jogs across the street and towers over Eddie. Richie’s smile is wide and sincere, his eyes crinkled to the point Eddie could barely see his eyes.

“Don’t call me that, Richie.” Eddie says, but his stern tone doesn’t have much impact because of the smile that graces his face. 

“Hey, um… How-How are you?” Richie stutters and for the first time Eddie witnesses Richie’s nervousness. Eddie didn’t even think he was capable of being self aware, let alone nervousness.

“I’m okay. I’ve been better,” Eddie says honestly. He grips the strap of his satchel tightly, but he refuses to drop his gaze from Richie’s.

“I just wanted to say… I really enjoyed seeing you the other night. And seeing you the few nights before that, too.”

“You did?” Eddie asks, straining his voice from sounding hopeful.  _ Stand your ground, Kaspbrak.  _ “You could have fooled me.” 

This makes Richie raise his eyebrows and smile self-consciously. 

“What?”

“I said, you could have fooled me. You didn’t really talk to me the other night, Richie. I noticed.”

“I didn’t know you wanted me to talk to you.” Richie admits, eyebrows furrowed.

  
“Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you? I… I told you I wanted to see you again, at the bar.” Eddie says, swallowing hoarsely. He really wasn’t planning to put Richie on blast, but here he was. Eddie was a lot more confrontational than he gave himself credit for. 

“I guess I was just… Surprised to see you, Spaghetti.” Richie reaches his arm and scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. Eddie notes this, and tries his best not to admit how fucking cute it is. 

_ “You _ were surprised to see  _ me? _   There I was, cucumber facial, and fucking Richie “Trashmouth” walks into my home!” Eddie nearly yells, waving his hands in the air above his head. This makes Richie laugh out loud, and Eddie tries to shoot him a glare but it comes out playful. “I’m serious! And then you basically ignore me all night-”

“Okay, I get it. I do. I’m sorry I didn’t give you all the attention you were looking for, Spaghetti Head. I didn’t know it upset you so much.” Richie teases, bringing his hand from his hair over to Eddie’s to tuck a curl of hair behind his ear.

Eddie holds his breath and silently watches Richie touch him. He shivers softly as his cold fingers graze his flushed face. 

“I promise I won’t do it again. Next time we hang out, it’ll be the Richie and Eddie show, I swear it.” Richie says, crossing a little X over his heart. And that is all Eddie really wanted, in actuality. He wanted someone for himself. Richie somehow knew exactly what to say and Eddie can’t help the smile that splits across his face. He lightly shoves Richie away. Then, in a moment of sheer courage-

“Good. I think I deserve to have a boy’s attention for more than one night.” He nods, crossing his arms across his chest and bringing his gaze back up to Richie’s. 

His flirtation makes Richie smile gleefully and he throws his head back in a laugh. When he looks back down back at him, if Eddie didn’t know any better, he would of said his eyes were filled with complete adoration.

“I think we’re going to be great friends, Eds.” Richie says behind him as he turns back around towards the bookstore, a smirk evident in his voice.

  
“Yeah, you wish, Trashmouth.” Eddie drawls, and only the flirtatious swing of his hips gives him away. 

Richie just stares at him as he walks away, shaking his head lightly with his signature large grin. He turns away from the bookstore, then, and continues his singing as he crosses the street.

_ Following the footsteps of a ragdoll dance, _

_ We are entranced. _

_ Spellbound, _

_ Spellbound, _

_ Spellbound... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! All the Losers finally together! We can get this party started!
> 
> Some more headcanons:  
> -If Bill is dad then Mike is most definitely Mom like he is so caring and empathetic, I feel like the moment anyone is feeling off or left out Mike is 100% there to reassure them and let them know how loved they are  
> -Beverly and Richie are honestly the brotp of the century I can't wait until Bev starts to feel comfortable enough to give Richie lil smooches because that guy needs it  
> -I feel like being around Richie is already extremely healing for Eddie, like never in a million years would he be teasing or confident enough to tell a cute boy what he wants  
> -Stan hates and loves Richie in equal amounts, as always, no matter the AU we know this to be the eternal truth like the fucking gospel
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Let me know what you think my loves!!!


End file.
